I Just Text To Say I Love You

I Just Text To Say I Love You

Research reveals Britons use text messaging to flirt and to say I love you
Nearly a quarter of the British public now use text messaging

According to research released today (5th September), the British public have embraced text messaging. The results of a study commissioned by Lycos UK, part of Lycos Europe, one of Europe's leading internet hubs, indicates a staggering 23% of the population are currently using the service which is a rise of six percentage points since May 2000.

The research, which was conducted by MORI, illustrates that the advent of the text message in Britain has broken down inhibitions within the dating game. The figures from the poll revealed that 37% of text message users have sent a text message telling someone they love them, while 24% admitted to using text messaging for flirting and 1% of users have sent a text message proposing marriage!

For 15 to 24 year olds, the text message has spelt the death of love notes and schoolyard whispers. Britain's youth appear to be conducting much of their social lives via text messaging with 81% of 15 - 24 year old users using the service to coordinate social arrangements. Within this demographic flirting via text messaging is also popular: some 42% of those interviewed used text messaging as a means of flirtation.

In addition, one fifth (19%) of 15 to 24 year old users have used a text message to ask someone out on a date, 49% have invited someone to a party with a text message, 44% have apologised after an argument via a text message, and 13% have sent a text message to end a relationship. When you consider 50% of 15 to 24 year olds using text messaging are doing so daily it certainly appears to be a preferred form of communication.

In line with traditional stereotypes, the research also revealed that women are using text messages to facilitate gossip and to keep tabs on family and friends. Of the women users questioned 60% claimed to use text messaging to exchange gossip while only 38% of male users admitted to doing so. Similarly, 34% of male users use text messages for work purposes and 15% for checking sporting results.

Lycos UK recently announced its own SMS messaging service making it one of the first Internet portals to enable its customers to send free text messages directly from their PC to any UK digital mobile telephone.

"Since its launch in June, the adoption of Lycos' free SMS messaging service in the UK has been phenomenal," said Alex Kovach, Managing Director, Lycos UK. "On average we have experienced a 30% increase in traffic and based on the results of our Germany counterparts we expect to see continued growth."

"The MORI research illustrates we are on the right track with the new services we are providing our customers. Over one-in-seven text message users claim to have already sent text messages using the internet. This equates to 1.6 million people, which is very promising news for us."

Text messages certainly appear to have a good future as 59% of users surveyed said they tend to send a text message instead of phoning someone up because it is cheaper and 55% said they tend to send a text message instead of phoning someone up because it is more convenient.

Lycos UK is providing its SMS capability via BT Cellnet, the UK's leading mobile Internet operator. This mobile service allows Lycos PC users to go to: www.lycos.co.uk/service/sms and use their keyboard to type a message up to 130 characters before sending it to any UK digital mobile telephone absolutely free of charge.

Face:

Emotion:

Acronym:

Meaning:

:-)

Happy

LOL

Laugh out loud

;-)

Happily winking

BTW

By the way

:-P

Sticking out tongue

ROTFL

Rolls on the floor laughing

:-(

Unhappy

BRB

Be right back

:~(

Crying

RTFM

Read the flaming manual

:-|

Unemotional

WTF

What the heck?

>:-(

Very unhappy

AFAIK

As far as I know

8-)

Wide eyed happiness

IMHO

In my humble opinion

:-O

Shouting

IOW

In other words

8-O

Wide eyed shouting

IMO

In my opinion

>8-O

Mad wide eyed shouting

FYI

For your information

|-|

Asleep

OTOH

On the other hand

==|:-)

Silly

TLA

Three letter acronym

Technical details

The research was conducted from August 3 - 7, 2000 in 183 sample points across Great Britain as part of a MORI Omnibus. A total of 497 interviews were conducted face-to-face in home with a nationally representative sample of GB adults aged 15+ who personally use text messaging on their mobile phones.